Vicario ‘grateful’ to ‘crazy’ Empoli who gave him chance to fulfil Tottenham ‘dream’ | OneFootball

Italy international Guglielmo Vicario is thrilled to return to Empoli with Italy’s national team tomorrow and is ready to ‘help’ the Azzurri even if he may not be the starter at Euro 2024.

Vicario held a pre-match press conference at Coverciano on Saturday, on the eve of a friendly international between the Azzurri and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vicario addressed the media, including Football Italia, after coach Luciano Spalletti.

Vicario started in the previous friendly against Turkey on Tuesday and was asked if he thinks he can compete with the starting spot with Donnarumma at Euro 2024.

“The coach takes decisions, I am ready for everything, whether I play or not. As an athlete, I must be ambitious. What we all want is the national team’s good,” he replied.

Vicario will return to the Stadio Castellani tomorrow, one year after his €20m move to Tottenham.

“It’s thrilling to return to the Castellani with the national team. It will be a great moment for me, for the family and for the Empoli fans who will be at the stadium. Surely it’s a huge thing for me. It’s the team that gave me a real chance to show my worth and fulfil my dream of playing with Tottenham in the Premier League. I earned experience at Empoli, and they were crazy enough to give me a chance, so I’ll always be grateful to them,” he said.

“Football [in the Premier League] is less tactical and more physical. It’s part of a growing process that I wanted to do,” continued Vicario.

“It’s part of the experience that an athlete must put in his career, so I am happy with the decision I made last summer.”

So why not so many young Italian players move outside Serie A?

“Probably sometimes dealing with a different language and a different culture can cause problems,” noted Vicario.

“But I believe [moving abroad] it’s worth it in footballing terms but also for personal life. It helps you open your eyes and leave your comfort zone, improving your confidence.”

Italy were held to a 0-0 by Turkey on Tuesday, so where should they improve tomorrow?

“I think we are ready for the Euros, but we can always improve obviously. We are here to work every day to try to get as close as possible to perfection and be effective. We have great guidance from the coach. We are humble and ambitious because we want to learn, but we know we are not inferior to anyone.”

What does he think about building up from the back?

“I think that like all things, it must be made when there is a chance to create an advantageous situation. In many situations, it’s a chance to create a numerical advantage with the goalkeeper. Of course, I can’t dribble as Chiesa does, but when I have the ball as a goalkeeper, I must know that another teammate will be free to receive it. It’s been a big change for me as well, but I am glad to learn it because a little risk can bring a big advantage sometimes.”

Click here for the full transcription of Spalletti and Vicario’s press conference from Coverciano today.